AI to Drive Half of New Digital Value in Asia-Pacific by 2030

Artificial intelligence will drive half of all new economic value generated by digital business in Asia/Pacific including Japan (APJ) by 2030, according to a prediction presented at the IDC FutureScape 2026 event in Singapore, held in 2025. The forecast, part of IDC's 2026 outlook for the region, marks a sharp escalation in expectations for AI: from a tool that improves existing processes to the primary engine of digital growth over the next five years.

The significance of the prediction lies in its scope and timing. APJ is home to some of the world's largest and fastest-growing digital economies, spanning China, India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. If AI accounts for 50% of new digital value in this region by 2030, it will reshape investment priorities, competitive dynamics, and workforce strategies far beyond any single market. For global executives, the APJ forecast is a leading indicator of how quickly agentic AI could become the default operating model for digital business.

The headline number: 50% of new digital value by 2030

IDC's prediction is specific: AI will drive 50% of new economic value from digital business in APJ by 2030. The phrase new economic value is important. It refers to incremental value created by digital products, services, and business models, not the total size of the existing digital economy. In other words, among the additional economic gains generated in the region between now and 2030, half are expected to be attributable to AI capabilities.

This distinction matters because it focuses attention on growth rather than maintenance. A company that simply uses AI to reduce costs in an existing operation may capture efficiency gains, but the larger opportunity lies in using AI to create new revenue streams, launch data-driven offerings, and enter adjacent markets. The prediction implies that AI will be embedded in the majority of new digital initiatives across APJ by the end of the decade.

"AI to Drive 50% of New Economic Value from Digital Business in APJ by 2030"

The 50% figure does not suggest that AI will replace all other sources of digital value. Instead, it positions AI as a multiplier that enhances the value of data, cloud infrastructure, and digital channels. Industries such as financial services, retail, manufacturing, and healthcare are likely to see the largest gains, as they combine rich data assets with agentic workflows.

The Singapore event, part of IDC's FutureScape series, is one of the research firm's annual venues for presenting regional predictions to enterprise technology buyers, vendors, and partners. The 2026 edition focused on Asia/Pacific dynamics, where digital maturity varies widely by market, creating both opportunities and frictions for AI adoption at scale.

Agentic AI: the strategic shift behind the forecast

The prediction is closely tied to the rise of agentic AI, which IDC describes as redefining enterprise strategy. Agentic AI refers to systems that can plan, make decisions, and execute multi-step tasks with limited human intervention. Unlike generative AI, which primarily produces content or answers, agentic AI acts on goals, coordinating across applications, data sources, and workflows.

At the FutureScape event, the framing was clear: agentic AI is transforming how technology, people, and performance work together to drive growth. That transformation has three dimensions. First, technology architectures must support autonomous workflows, real-time data access, and secure inter-system communication. Second, people must move from executing routine tasks to supervising, governing, and collaborating with AI agents. Third, performance measurement must shift from activity-based metrics to outcome-based metrics tied to business value.

"Agentic AI is redefining enterprise strategy, transforming how technology, people, and performance work together to drive growth."